Chairs with retractable tablets that move between operative and stored positions are well-known in the art. Examples of the prior art are shown in the following prior patents:
3,102,7543,556,5883,140,8943,567,2773,194,6003,675,9683,197,2533,784,2493,197,2544,159,8463,269,7724,216,9943,367,7135,683,1363,547,4885,845,9646,073,997
The present invention employs a relatively inexpensive and uncomplicated mechanical arrangement for providing movement for the tablet and is suitable for use in a variety of seating including motion chairs.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the assembly for mounting the tablet is suitable for use in motion furniture that will support the tablet in an operative position whether the chair and particularly the backrest is in an upright or inclined position. Another aspect of the present invention is a chair and tablet combination wherein the chair has a movable seat and/or backrest and in which the tablet remains fixed or is non-responsive to changes in the positions of the seat and/or backrest. Yet another aspect of the invention is that the tablet may easily be moved between stored and operative positions by a person either seated in the chair or standing beside it.
In accordance with one form of the invention the tablet is movable between a stored position substantially in a vertical plane along the side of the chair and an operable position in a substantially horizontal plane above the chair seat and in front of the backrest so as to provide a convenient and comfortable working surface for the chair occupant. In accordance with another form of the invention, the tablet is mounted on a fixed portion of the chair frame so that the tablet position is independent of and uneffected by any change in position of the seat and/or backrest of the chair. In accordance with yet another form of the invention, the mechanism for supporting the tablet includes a base plate mountable on a fixed portion of the chair frame or an extension thereof and a hinge plate disposed in a plane parallel to and closely adjacent the base plate. The two plates are secured together by a shaft that enables the hinge plate to pivot in a plane parallel to the base plate, and the hinge plate carries a hinge connected to and which supports the tablet. The mechanism enables the tablet to move from a stored position in a substantially vertical plane, through a second position in the same vertical plane but displaced approximately 90° about the axis of the shaft, and finally to an operative position wherein the tablet is turned about the hinge to a substantially horizontal plane in front of the backrest and above the seat.